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LOOKING BACK
 | On this page I have written a brief resume of my ancestors as far as I have been able to research, starting with my father.
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DAVID CHASE
 William David Robert Chase, best known just as David, was born in Titchfield in 1916. On leaving Price’s Grammar School, Fareham, he went to Portsmouth College of Art where he trained to become an architect.
Prior to the war and on the death of his father, William, in 1937, at the age of 21, he took over the reins of the family building business. A year later he married an Irish nurse, Josephine Doherty, from Waterford. Joey soon became well known in the village serving on various committees and running the First Aid post at the Parish Room during the war.
David’s war years were spent in providing ARP services and constructing covert coastal defences while on secondment to the Royal Engineers. Towards the end of the war he officially joined the Royal Engineers on military construction work part of which was served in Egypt.
After the war David worked on rebuilding the business. The ‘yard’ was situated in Southampton Hill where Polygraphic is now, next to the Fire Station. The business also consisted of rented property in the village. This part of the family business still exists, although on a much smaller scale.
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THE YARD
Later in the mid 60’s David joined the National House Building Council (NHBC) as a building inspector. After a brief spell working in their London HQ, which he did not like, he became South Hampshire and Isle of Wight buildings inspector, where he supervised many new developments. He retired in 1981 but continued both his design consultancy work and running the building business beyond his 70th year.
For many years prior to his illness David was a regular at his local, The Wheatsheaf, in East Street, where to the amusement of the regulars he would appear just before closing time. His timing was so exact that the landlord, Tom, knew that his arrival meant it was time to ring last orders.
David, died in Redclyffe Annex at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital on 7 October 1992.
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WILLIAM CHASE
 David’s father, William Chase, was born on 26 June 1864, in Titchfield, probably in East Street. He had four sisters, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah and Emma.
At the ripe old age of 49 he married Bertha Elizabeth May, who came from Bristol. It is said that she was ‘banished’ to Titchfield because she fell in love with an actor - not the done thing. Her sister, Tilly, married into the influential Brown family who ran a tugboat company. Bertha was working at Hudson’s in the Square as a milliner before her marriage. We have found, hidden away in chests in the attic, letters from William to Bertha all sent via the post from East St to The Square with replies the same day.
William took an active part in village life and organisations. In 1916 he took over the office of treasurer for the Ancient Order of Foresters court of Father Matthews, continuing in office until at least 1931.
On his marriage certificate William gives his occupation as "Builder" and two years later on his sons birth certificate that of "Master Builder". He died in 1938 and is buried in Titchfield cemetery.
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DAVID CHASE
 William’s Father, David Chase, was also a builder. He was born around 1830 probably in Titchfield. He married Elizabeth Jeffrey at St Peters on 10 May 1856. Elizabeth was from Posbrook, her parents were James and Elizabeth.
William and Elizabeth had 5 children, Elizabeth (b.1857), Mary ‘Polly’ (b.1859), Sarah Harriet (b. 1862), William (b 1864) and Emma (b 1867)
Elizabeth married a distant cousin John Chase; Mary married George Ford, a farmer from Mislingford; Sarah never wed; Emma married and moved to London. In later life Sarah lived in the family home in East St. before moving to Common Lane.
David died on 5th July 1910. An entry in the company’s day book, written by William and dated 9 July 1910, records in business like fashion. ‘Executors of the late David Chase opening vault and entombing the late David Chase in the Old Church yard, 12 1/2 hours Gamblin and Burgess, 2 hours Silence and Heath, 1 1/2 hours Bailey.’
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GEORGE CHASE
David’s parents were George and Catherine. George was born sometime in 1797 and christened in Titchfield Church in Dec 1799. He was listed as a labourer, bricklayer or builder in various parish records. He must have married around 1824 as the first of his eleven children was born in 1825, the last William was born in 1844 - he was then 47. He died in 1875 and is buried in the church yard.
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RICHARD CHASE
This is as far back as we have been able to research. Richard and Jane Chase were George’s parents. The only information on them being gleaned from their children's baptism records. They had at least two other children Amelia and Thomas. Amelia was the eldest and born in Titchfield in 1790.
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